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Rakain gazed around the shuttleport, willing himself to keep his hand off his gun despite the fact that his instincts were on high alert. Hana snickered to Ami, "It's what clean air smells like." She said playfully, looking over the tablet before signing anything, not seeming suspicious, just careful. Xata looked around with as much curiosity as trepidation. She had woken up here on Absalom, but she'd been too confused to really take in the scenery before. With friends beside her, she could find it invigorating.
"How much water must you have for it to hang in the air like this? Reminds me too much of mold." Sam stated in discomfort as she followed.
"My scales itch," Rakain muttered.
Hana frowned slightly, signing the tablet a few times, "So.. we should probably not go into selling scrap.." She sighed. "And you'd be surprised how little the credit reward is."
The woman smirked. "You all from Akiton, huh?" she asked, then blinked. "It's metal that had someone die near it, right?" she asked, her brow furrowing.
"It's the hull of a pirate ship we personally blew up. So, I'd be damned shocked if they didn't die near it." Hana snickered.
Sam nodded and closed up the helmet, letting the scrubbers remove some of the water from it to make her more comfortable.
The Eoxian nodded, then tapped at her wrist bracelet. "It's good," she said. "Send the skellies."
A few moments later, a train of fifty or so skeletons started clattering forward. They walked up to the cargo hold, then started to remove chunks by the handful - marching them off.
Rakain grimaced. "Really starting to hate skeletons nowadays."
The Eoxian looked at him. "They're tame, don't worry," she said, grinning - showing a single fang as she did so.
Hana frowned, "I've never understood biological beings' distaste with nercomancy." She said, shrugging slightly.
"Something unnerving about having to kill something that is already dead." Sam said simply.
"I just find it odd, since I doubt people are particularly squeamish about using androids for spare parts when we deactivate," Hana said, shrugging again.
"Well, you need to destroy robots sometimes," the Eoxian said, shrugging. The skeletons were quite efficient - the hold was empty now, the last bit of scrap picked up by a shorter skeleton then started to walk away.
"They aren't- those are soulless, right?" Sam asked.
Xata was watching the skeletons with disquiet too. It seemed to her that they were "scrap." Did the dead ever willingly serve the living? But aloud she said to Sam: "There is likely nothing we can do if they are not."
"They're basically barely animate machines that use magic and biological components rather than metal and such." Hana said, frowning slightly.
"Exactly. Now!" The Eoxian said. "Thanks for the supplies." She turned and started to walk off, following the skellies.
Ami shook her head. "So, what now?" she asked, grinning. "Who wants to go and do what?"
I'll head off and talk to the lashunta about some bounty for the pirates." Hana said, waving to the eoxian as she walked off.
Ami nodded. "Wear protection!" She called off, playfully, then turned to the others with a grin. Hana rolled her eyes at the other woman as she headed off towards the location the lantashu had dropped to her over a private com.
"I would like to find an establishment that caters to pilots. Very disreputable ones," Xata said, putting her hands on her hips.
"An establishment? For pilots? On this station!?" Ami shook her head, giggling. "I don't think that exists."
Sam chuckled at Xata's comment. "I'm game for that, shouldn't be -that- hard."
Xata grinned at her wryly.. and then it occurred to her suddenly that the Eoxian might know of the sort of place that would deal with pirates. She looked up and around for the Eoxian as Rakain cupped his hands around his muzzle calling out.
"Hana! Can I come with?"
Hana looked back, still walking slowly away from the group. She cupped her hands around her mouth as well. "Yeah, sure! Why not?"
Rakain beamed and trotted after her. "Can't let you have all the fun," he teased as he came abreast of her. Xata - seeing the Eoxian had left - shrugged and took Sam and Ami with her. They had to find some disreputable pirates.
###
Xata, Ami, Rakain, Hana and Sam returned to the Sunwolf's bridge as the sun started to dip to the horizon of the zone. Hana was wearing a new set of sleek, elegant looking armor - it was crafted from leather from some alien beast, with additional metal studs and wires to add sturdiness to it. Sleek and attractive, it hung around her like a punk rock outfit.
Rakain, meanwhile, was just looking quite smug.
Xata and Sam returned with some news from various disreputable taverns. There had been a recent expedition that had gone to the Brineice Asteroid - a ship called the Dartrake, which had been crewed by some would be adventurers from Absalom Station. They hadn't come back - and they had left almost a week before.
"Well, it seems like this little detour was worth it after all." Hana said, smiling brightly as she moved to take her seat on the bridge, her hand rubbing the final piece of her new outfit: A small, sleek bracelet. "I got some nice new armor and we know to look out for the Dartrake."
Ami nodded. "We can definitely find their families, and maybe rescue anyone who got captured, "she said, grinning. "Xata, did you get anyone to tell you where the Dartrake dropped in at?"
Xata nodded. "Yes. Apparently they were planning an open approach. I think we can safely surmise it did not go well."
"Well, it was foolish then." Sam said in agreement.
Ami hissed. "So, yeah, definitely going to drop in behind an asteroid, right?" She asked - then blinked. "Wait, what's that?" She asked, pointing at the sleek bracelet she had noticed on Hana's arm.
Hana snorted slightly, adjusting a device on her arm, "Yeah, kind of figured that the direct approach with pirates wasn't a good idea." She said, finishing tapping the device and suddenly she was wearing a small skirt, short jacket and a belly shirt, with a pair of sneakers on her feet.
Rakain blinked. "That's pretty neat!"
Ami started. "Whoa!" She said, her eyes wide.
Xata gave a low whistle. "Impressive."
"Ahh, the Hana-Armor-Disguise bracelet." Nora remarked over her beer, sipping while she leaned back in her seat.
"It's a holoskin." Hana said, smiling, tapping it again, her features shifting greatly so she took on the appearance of Rakain. She shifted back to her own appearance and smiled. "Just a hologram unfortunately."
Ami chuckled, quietly. "Okay, well, I'm eager to see it - and I'm eager to get this show on the road!" She said, nodding, then pointing at Sam. "Make it so!"
Sam: Sam just shook her head, knowing what to expect Hana to use such a thing for. "Starting launch procedures, getting clearance."
Ami grinned at the rest of them as the Sunwolf started to lift off the ground - engines flaring to life as it punched them towards the force field dome that surrounded the spire of Absalom station. "I love saying that." She purred.
###
The next three days were spent in the Drift - soaring between Absalom and the pirate base...and it was a quiet time, time where the group could chat, relax, learn about one another and study...and prepare.
On the last day, they gathered on the bridge. The plan was simple: They would drop out of the Drift with an asteroid between them and the Brineice base. They watched the screen as Sam tapped the Drift button and the portal opened.
And they emerged from space right before a large metallic wall. It looked like the curving donut ring of a cheap space station, and the crew had a few seconds to reflect on this before the ship smashed, nose first, into the side of the station.
There was a screaming of metal, a groaning of pipes and a sudden series of alarms and blaring sounds as each of them grabbed onto their consoles - bracing against them.
Ami was sitting in the captain's chair. She had also forgotten her seat belt. She flung out of the chair and skidded along the ground with a yelp. But it was hard to notice her plight as a large gout of air started to rush through a hole ripped in the side of the bridge as the alarm turned to the horrifying wail of an atmospheric breach.
"We have suffered some structural integrity breaches," Alfie said, her voice calm. "We appear to be lodged in a D-98 class station."
"That's an understatement, Alfie!" Rakain yelled. "Can you seal the hole?"
"So, I'm guessing this wasn't something we planned." Hana said as she undid the straps on her seat. She stood and rushed over to check on Ami to make sure she wasn't hurt badly. As Hana knelt down, Ami sat up - then cried out in pain, her arm clutching to her chest. Her arm was clearly broken.
"I am afraid I cannot," Alfie said, quietly. "I would suggest deploying your armored life support."
Nora swore loudly and pushed herself up from her station. "Note the places and list them to me Alfie, I'll try to get them patched up." She typed at her wrist, keying the support in her armor to fill out and cover her head in a small dome.
Xata closed up her Second Skin as she struggled out of her straps as well and went to help Hana with Ami. It wasn't needed for her, being an android, but she seemed to enjoy the feeling of the helmet.
"No. This wasn't part of the plan." Sam said, sounding rather pissed at herself as she closed up her helmet and freed herself from her harness.
Rakain tapped the button on his armor's collar, closing up his Estex suit and hearing the life support whine to life. He took several deep breaths of cold, filtered air, using a console to haul his bulk upright.
Hana focused, muttering softly, trying to ignore the wet cracking noise of Ami's arm going back the way it was supposed to be. "Ami, seal up your suit, the ship's exposed to space!" Ami nodded and gritted her teeth as she tried to stand. Hana took hold of her uninjured arm.
As Hana helped Ami to her feet, Nora started to spray sealent into the hole - Ami grabbing her collar and tugging it up. As her helmet snapped home, she grinned. "Thanks..." she said. "Holy shit what did people do without magical healers. I'd kiss you but..." She gestured vaguely at her head. "Helmet."
As she did so, Alfie spoke. "I have scanned the area. We are lodged in the habitation ring of a station. There are no detectable life signs. This station appears to be a century or two old - it has been abandoned. No power sources, no indications of life." She nodded. "It is located five hundred kilometers from the Brineice Asteroid itself."
"So, we didn't even crash into the pirates and kill them all?" Ami asked. "Laaaaaame." She grinned weakly.
"I'm just glad we're still alive," Rakain murmured, joining everyone else.
Hana snickered, "I believe they generally died really young, Ami." She said, sticking out her tongue slightly, reveling in the fact she was the only one without a helmet. Technically, her voice wouldn't be carried through a vacuum, but being an android meant she could vocalize through their com units. "Damn biological necessities." She sighed, "So, I guess since we're mashed into it, we might as well check out the station?"
"Five hundred kilometers." Xata frowned. "We cannot dislodge ourselves? I would not want to Jump that Far." She nodded solemnly, her eyes darkening. Nora worked to get the sealygoopy glop in place, using her cybernetic arm to heat the metal gel until it began to set in place.
"Might need to unweld some bits from the inside of the station," She added over her arm com unit. "Once we do, we can fly out."
Under her helmet Sam's cheeks burned at the shame with her mistake. "Yes- what is the situation in terms of the ship. How bad is it?"
Alfie bowed her head. "We are at seventy five percent hull integrity. The forward gyrolasers are entangled with the station - it will require you to cut them loose for us to accelerate away," she said, nodding. as Nora stepped away from the wall. "So, my mistress is correct."
Ami rubbed her hands together. "Okay. Who didn't want to explore abandoned space stations at some point in their lives? Honestly, raise your hands!" She grinned, drawing her pistol - clearly quite chipper despite the situation.
Hana snickered slightly, "Thank the gods two of us don't need to worry about all the space getting in if things get too bad." She smiled, checking to make sure she still had her small pouch of glass orbs.
"Just so long as this doesn't play out like that movie we watched," Rakain said, patting his gun.
Xata nodded amiably. "It would be an Adventure. What movie?" She had been busy practicing her Song while the others had been watching trashy movies.
"Might as well." Sam said with a shrug and started to pick up the pack and gear she kept next to the console when piloting.
"The one with all those slimy chitenous aliens that ended up fucking the bimbo crew?" Hana said playfully, heading for the way out.
"Just leave the face huggers outta this and i'm chill..." Nora said, reaching an arm out to let her drone climb up and latch on to her shoulder.
Xata followed suit. "Agreed. I do not want my face hugged."
As they headed for the airlock and opened it, Ami giggled. "Yeah, uh, why did we watch that one again?" She asked as the airlock opened into the interior of the habitat ring. The Sunwolf had punched its way through the "floor" of the station - but since it wasn't spinning, there was no gravity. That meant that they stepped out of the ship and floated into a bizarre, sideways world - with houses sticking out of the "wall" and a curved floor with a huge set of windows looking out at space...
One of the dangers of interstellar travel: Perspective got wonky.
Ami tapped her magboots on and sealed herself down to the floor of the station - meaning the wall - and looked around, grinning at her friends. "I say we agree to orient ourselves to the gravity. Even if there isn't any."
The only sound that they heard were their own voices, their own breathing in their helmets - without an atmosphere, the station was as silent as a tomb.
"Agreed. Makes things clearer." Sam said as she followed suit and activated the mag function on her boots.
"Ooooor we could flyyyy!" Hana said, smiling as she pushed herself out into the microgravity, spinning in the air and giggling eagerly as she looked around. "And, Rakain, the reason we watched Alien-XXX is the same reason we watch any other thing. Because we got bored. And tiddies!"
Nora nodded, kneeling down enough so her little robo could clamber down onto the ground. Using claws she ushered the little mammalian looking drone off, making sure to toggle his camo optics.
"I'm with Sam on this one," Rakain said, following her lead with the magnetic functions in his boots. "But feel free to be our eyes in the sky, Hana."
Ami nodded, starting to walk forward. "I say we explore at least a little..." She said, starting towards one of the buildings. She approched the low structure - one of the advantage of building on a station like this was that one could make buildings that looked like homes on a planetary surface, even if it did seem eerie in a vacuum. Ami walked up to the front door - but then Hana started as she floated above the small station-town, almost reaching the "ceiling" of the torus.
"Ami, trip wire!" Hana called out, pointing to the spot right in front of her Tian friend.
Ami froze - her foot almost touching a thin trip wire that was strung along the bottom the entrance of the home she had been about to enter in. Xata started forward with alarm, grabbing at Ami to pull her back. Ami yelped as she was yanked backwards, skidding away from the wire - which went untripped.
"Who puts up fucking tripwires on a space station!?" Ami spluttered, leaning against Xata.
"Maybe whoever was living here before we showed up?" Hana said curiously, pushing herself back towards the "ground" by pressing on the "ceiling". "So.. we want to just try setting it off from a ways away?"
Ami nodded. "You can use magic, right?" She asked, stepping back as Hana continued to drift around.
"Sorry, Your Grace," Xata said, automatically correcting: "I mean, Miss Woodwise."
Ami smiled, petting Xata on her shoulder. "It's okay. I want to be yanked in situations like that."
"Yeppers!" Hana nodded to Ami, "Want me to try and give it a tug?"
"Is there some way we can just set up a marker to avoid it?" Xata suggested. "In case the tug does not work."
"Or, disabling it so it doesn't trigger. It could damage the structure." Sam noted. "Either one has risks though."
Hana, having reached the ground again, grabbed onto the rough surface of the floor and began to drag herself forward, trying to examine the area where the trap was. SInce she wasn't using mag boots, she moved forward like she was under water. As she 'floated' forward, Nora held a hand up, moving a few steps forward, just adding to the surreality of seeing Hana buzz forward. Nora keyed her arm's display, flicked the camera view of her drone to a corner, and loaded up another for the wire trap as she moved over. "Think I got something. I think I can see what the trap does..."
"What is it?" Rakain asked. Nora held up her hand, cocking her head as she watched her drone's camera feed.
Xata hummed subvocally. As she did, a series of soft blue lights materialized to better illuminate the scene.
Nora's face screwed up after a moment and stepped back. "Fucking...seriously..." She mumbled. The mechanic pointed her false index finger at the trap and a little needle slid out of the tip. A small jolt of electricity hit the wire, setting the trap off. Nora positioned herself to stand next to something, looking tired.
The trap silently sprang into motion. A wooden arm flung down and filled the doorway...with...
A note.
It was a piece of paper. And written on it a single sentence: YOU ARE UGLY!
Hana blinked, "O.. kay.." She said, tilting her head slightly, "That's.. interesting.." She looked over the note curiously.
Xata looked at it curiously. "That seems very speculative."
"Mysteries of the universe, am I right?" Nora said, deadpan, holding her hands up next to the note like a hostess on a gameshow.
"We are not!" Rakain protested with a flex.
Ami blinked. "I...what?" She asked, cocking her head slightly. She looked at the others as the note - to Hana's eye - looked like it had been written by someone with an extraordinarily bad use of a pen. The "Y" was all mishapen, the R was more like a 4, and the G was backwards.
"So.. I'm thinking either this is someone who's a little weird in the head, or it's meant to distract us from later traps.." Hana said, rubbing her chin as she looked at the poor penmanship.
"It could be someone has been squatting here," Xata said.
"That seems logical..." Ami said, nodding slightly, then frowned. She looked over at Nora. "Can you send your drone into the house, to see if there are any more traps?"
"It's either a kid, some kind of fairy, or someone who's nuts.." Hana said, frowning, "Be careful just in case.."
"Already doing so," Nora said, holding her arm up. She flicked her drone's main camera view back into place and watched. "Proooobably goblins though."
"But, wasn't there no life signs?" Sam asked, remembering Alfie's statement.
Xata quietly snuffed out her Dancing Lights, as the trap no longer needed to be marked.
"Goblins hate writing," Hana said, nodding slowly. "They think that every word they write down gets stolen out of their head. They'd never leave a written note even if they knew how."
